A Glossary of Rhetorical Devices 2014 - 2015
Adage: A saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorically language.
Accumulation: the gathering together of disparate points into a thematic list.
I love biscuits. You hate them. I believe in God. You believe in nothing. I think for myself. You don’t think at all.
Alliteration: repetition of the same consonant sound beginning several words in sequence
Let us go forth to lead the land we love – JF Kennedy (Inaugural Speech)
Veni, vidi, vici. Julius Caesar
Anacoluthon: a lack of grammatical sequence or a change in the grammatical construction within the same sentence
Agreements entered into when one state of facts exists…are they to be maintained regardless of changing conditions? – J. Diefenbaker
Anachronism: A person, scene, event, or other element that fails to correspond with the appropriate time or era.
Columbus sailing to the United States
Anadiplosis: doubling back, the rhetorical repetition of one or several words; specifically, the repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of the next
Men in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame, and servants of business. – Francis Bacon
He speaks French as well. As well as your average parrot.
Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines.
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on top the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight in the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender. – Churchill
Anastrophe: transposition of normal word order; most often found in Latin in the case of prepositions and the words they control; a form of hyperbaton.
The helmsman steered; the ship moved on; yet never a breeze up blew. Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Anticlimax:a decline from a noble tone to a less exalted one, often for comic effect.
Beethoven’s dead, Goethe’s dead, and I’m not feeling too good myself.
Antihimera: the substitution of one part of speech for another
I’ll unhair thy head
Antiphrasis: Use of a word in a sense opposite to its conventional meaning.
How absolutely ravishing you look in orange and pink polyester
Antistrophe: repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
In 1931, ten years ago, Japan invaded Manchukuo… without warning. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia… without warning. In 1938, Hitler occupied Austria…without warning. In 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia…without warning. Later in 1939, Hitler invaded Poland… without warning. And now Japan has attacked Malaya and Thailand…and the United States…without warning. – FD Roosevelt
Antithesis: opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction.
Brutus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.- Shakespeare
Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. – Barry Goldwater
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times (Tale of Two Cities)
Antonomasia: Substitution of a title, epithet, or descriptive phrase for a proper name (or of a personal name for a common name) to designate a member of a group or class.
The Iron Lady, The Golden Eagles
Aphorism: a general truth or observation about life, usually stated concisely and pointedly, often embodying a moral such as: Diligence is the mother of good luck (Ben Franklin) also, maxim
Aporia: expression of doubt (often feigned) by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what he should think, say, or do.
Then the steward said within himself, “What shall I do?” Luke 16
Apophasis: The mention of something in disclaiming intention of mentioning it.
Far be it from me to question the motives of the noble lord.
Aposiopesis: a form of ellipse by which a speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly overcome by passion, fear, or modesty
If you don’t eat that spinach, I’ll…
Why I ought to …
Apostrophe: a sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction absent or present.
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him.Julius Caesar: Shakepeare
Archaism: use of an older or obsolete form (word, syntax, grammar)
Assonance: repetition of the same vowel sound in words close to each other.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
Asyndeton: lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words
We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardships, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. JK Kennedy, Inaugural
Auxesis: a gradual increase in intensity of meaning, achieved by arranging words in ascending order of importance.
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o’er-sways their power.
Bathos: insincere or overdone sentimentality
Brachylogy: a general term for abbreviated or condensed expression, of which asyndeton and zeugma are types
Cacophony/Disonance: harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of euphony.
We want no parlay with you and your grisly gang who work your wicked will. Churchill
Catachresis: a harsh metaphor involving the use of a word beyond its strict sphere
Listen vainly, but with thirsty ear. MacArthur, Farewell Address
Chiasmus: two corresponding pairs arranged not in parallels (abab) but in inverted order (abba) to form the shape of the Greek letter chi (x) – the second half of the expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed.
Those gallant men will remain often in my thoughts and in my prayers always. MacArthur
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Climax: arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of ascending power. Often the last word in one phrase or clause is repeated as the first emphatic word of the next.
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Tennyson: Ullyses
I came, I saw, I conquered
Colloquialism: a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)
Commoratio: repetition of a point several times in different words.
This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It’s expired and gone to meet its maker.
Conundrum a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem
Cynic: one who expects and observes nothing but the worst of human conduct
Deduction the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
Digression: that portion of discourse that wanders or departs from the main subject or topic
Epigraph the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein.
Epiphora: repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child
Euphemism: substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.
Euphony a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony
Exegesis: a detailed analysis or interpretation of a work of literature
Frame: a structure that provides a premise or setting for a narrative or other discourse.
The frame for Canterbury Tales is a group of pilgrims exchanging stories on the road
Hendiadys: use of two words connected by a conjunction, instead of subordinating one to the other, to express a single complex idea.
It sure is nice and cool today (pleasantly cool)
I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Psalms 116
Hyperbaton: separation of words which belong together, often to emphasize the first of the separated words or to create a certain image or emphasis.
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.
Hyperbole: exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect
He’s been working here since God was a little boy.
Hysteron Proteron: (later-earlier) inversion of the natural sequence of events, often meant to stress the event which, though later in time, is considered more important.
Put on your shoes and socks
He was bred and born a gentleman
Induction the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
Inference a conclusion one can reasonably draw from the information presented. If an answer is directly stated, it cannot be inferred.
Invective:an emotionally violent, verbally abusive denunciation using particularly invective language.
Irony: expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning; the words say one thing but mean another.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
Isocolon: A succession of phrases of approximately equal length and corresponding structure.
The bigger they come, the harder they fall
Juxtaposition: Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.
Litotes: understatement, for intensification, by denying the contrary of the thing being affirmed. (also meiosis)
War is not healthy for children and other living things
One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day
Malapropism: the replacement of an appropriate word by one with similar sound but inappropriate meaning.
He is the very pineapple of politeness.
Metaphor: implied comparison achieved through a figurative use of words; the word is not used in its literal sense, but in one analogous to it.
… while he learned the language (that meager and fragile thread… by which the little surface corners and edged of men’s secret and solitary lives may be joined for an instant now and then before sinking back into the darkness…) Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!
Now is the winter of our discontent (Shakespeare)
Metonymy: substitution of one word for another which it suggests
He is a man of the cloth
The pen is mightier than the sword
By the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat bread
The face that launched a thousand ships
Onomatopoeia: use of words to imitate natural sounds; accommodation of sound to sense
Oxymoron: apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another.
I must be cruel to be kind. Hamlet: Shakespeare
Sweet and sour
Army intelligence
Paradox: an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that yet may have some truth in it.
What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young. GB Shaw
The first shall be last and the last shall be first
Paraleipsis: (Praeteritio) pretended omission for rhetorical effect
That part of our history detailing the military achievements which gave us our several possessions… is a theme too familiar to my listeners for me to dilate on, and I shall therefore pass by it. Thucydides: Funeral Oration
Let us make no judgment on the events of Chappaquiddick, since the facts are not yet all in. (a political opponent of Senator Edward Kennedy)
Parallelism the technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form. Parallel structure may be as simple as listing two or three modifiers in a row to describe the same noun or verb; it may take the form of two or more of the same type of phrases (prepositional, participial, gerund, appositive) that modify the same noun or verb; it may also take the form of two or more subordinate clauses that modify the same noun or verb. Or, parallel structure may be a complex bend of singe-word, phrase, and clause parallelism all in the same sentence.
Example (from Churchill): “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields.”
Paraprosdokian: surprise or unexpected ending of a phrase or series
He was at his best when the going was good. Alistair Cooke on the Duke of Windsor
There but for the grace of God… goes God. Churchill
Paranomasia: use of similar sounding words; often etymological word-play
Culled cash, or cold cash, and then it turned into a gold cache. Doctorow: Billy Bathgate
Thou are Peter (Gr. Petros) and upon this rock (Gr Petra) I shall build my church. Matthew 16
Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
Personification: Attribution of human personality to a non-human thing
England expects every man to do his duty. Lord Nelson
Pleonasm: use of superfluous or redundant words, often enriching the thought
No one, rich or poor, will be expected
Ears pierced while you wait
I have seen no stranger sight since I was born
Point of View: When analyzing an essay, this term most often means the author’s attitude toward the subject. You will find the author’s overall point of view illustrated in the thesis.
Polemic: an argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion
Polyptoton: Repetition of words derived from the same root but with different endings.
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
Polysyndeton: the repetition of conjunctions in a series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses.
I said, “Who killed him?” and he said, “I don’t know who killed him but he’s dead all right,” and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights and windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Bay and she was all right only she was full of water. Hemingway: “After the Storm”
Prolepsis: the anticipation, in adjectives or nouns, of the result of the action of a verb; also the positioning of a relative clause before its antecedent
Consider the lilies of the field how they grow
Retraction: the withdrawal of a previously stated idea or opinion
Rhetorical Appeals: There are three persuasive devices by which a writer tries to sway the audience’s attention and response to any given work.
1. Logos: employs logical reasoning, combining a clear idea (or multiple ideas) with well-thought-out and appropriate examples and details. These supports are logically presented and rationally reach the writer’s conclusion.
2. Ethos: establishes credibility in the speaker. Since by definition “ethos” means the common attitudes, beliefs, and characteristics of a group or time period, this appeal sets up believability in the writer. The writer is then perceived as someone who can be trusted and is concerned with the reader’s best interests.
3. Pathos: plays on the reader’s emotions and interests. A sympathetic audience is more likely to accept a writer’s assertions, so this appeal draws upon that understanding and uses it to the writer’s advantage.
Rhetorical Modes: These four major types of writing conventions are as follows:
1. Exposition: the purpose is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.
2. Argumentation: the purpose is to prove the validity of an idea, or a point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, thoughtful discussion, and insightful argument that thoroughly convince an audience.
3. Description: the purpose is to re-create, invent, or visually represent a person, place, event, or action using sensory details to engage the audience.
4. Narration: the purpose is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events in order to exemplify a theme or thesis.
Rhetorical Question: A questionthat is asked merely for effect rather than an expected reply; the answer is assumed.
Rhetorical Strategies: These nine types of writing strategies are as follows:
1. Argumentation: convincing others to accept a particular point of view or take action
2. Cause and Effect: exploring relationships between circumstances and outcomes
3. Compare and Contrast: showing in what ways two or more subjects are alike or different
4. Description: using sensory details to create concrete supporting details
5. Definition: creating deeper understanding through connotation, extension, and multiple meanings
6. Division and Classification: breaking a subject intomeaningfulestablished subunits
7. Exemplification: using examples (facts, opinions, samples, anecdotes) to inform/persuade
8. Narration: recounting an event to illustrate a particular theme/thesis
9. Process Analysis: following a series of actions/stages that lead to a consistent result
Sarcasm: from the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are sarcastic (that is, intending to ridicule). When well done, sarcasm can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it’s simply cruel.
Simile: an explicit comparison between two things using like or as
Reason is to faith as the eye is to the telescope. D. Hume
Let us go then , you and I,
While he evening is spread is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table – TS Eliot: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Syllepsis: use of a word at least twice, with each use understood differently.
We must all hang together or assuredly we will all hang separately. B. Franklin
Synchysis: interlocked word order
Synecdoche: understanding one thing with another; the use of a part for the whole, or the whole for the part. (a form of metonymy)
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6
The U.S. won three gold medals
Synesis: the agreement of words according to logic, and not grammar; a kind of anacoluthon
For the wages of sin is death Romans6
Tautology: repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence
With malice toward none, with charity toward all. Lincoln, Second Inaugural
Tricolon: series of three members
A happy life is one spent in learning, earning, and yearning.
Whimsy: An object, device, or creation that is fanciful or rooted in unreality
Zeugma: two different words linked to a verb or an adjective which is strictly appropriate to only one of them.
Nor Mars his sword, nor war’s quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory